Robert Glisson appointed Norristown's interim municipal manager

Robert H. Glisson, Norristown’s director of public works, poses for a photo after his appointment as interim municipal manager effective March 1 by council Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2013. Photo by Carl Rotenberg/Times Herald Staff.

NORRISTOWN ­­— Robert H. Glisson, Norristown’s current director of public works, was unanimously appointed interim municipal manager effective March 1 by council Tuesday night.

Glisson will take over from Municipal Administrator David Forrest, who resigned last month to become the city manager of Canandaigua, N.Y. Forrest will leave his Norristown post on Feb. 28.

Glisson served as the township manager of East Cocalico, Lancaster County, for 14 months, from December 2008 to January 2010. He was hired by council in June 2011 as the public works director for $75,000 per year.

Glisson will be paid $109,000 per year while council searches for a permanent replacement for Forrest. In a related move Tuesday, council hired Lafayette College to help the municipality find the permanent replacement for about $4,000.

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“He’s eminently qualified,” said council Vice President William Caldwell about Glisson’s appointment. “He knows both the staff and the community.”

The municipality had not had a public works director for several years. Engineer Christopher Fazio served as acting director of public works while the job was vacant.

From October to December 2007, Glisson was the interim manager of Wallace, Chester County. From September 2003 to May 2007 he was the township manager of East Caln Township, Chester County. From September 1998 to September 2003, he was the borough manager of Oxford, Chester County.

He previously served as a director of the Oxford Area Chamber of Commerce, a director of the Southern Chester County YMCA, and a board member, ex officio, of Oxford Mainstreet Inc.

In other business Tuesday, two Norristown firefighters who rescued a West Norriton woman from her burning home Jan. 19 were honored by Norristown council night with Medal of Valor commendations.

Firefighters Robert Myers and Andrew Pyles entered the burning, 1 1/2-story, single family home on Sterigere Street shortly after 3 a.m. to search for the woman. The woman’s son told police she was still trapped inside. The firefighters encountered high heat, heavy smoke and fire in the kitchen area of the home.

Myers entered a bedroom and vented a window. Myers located the fire victim in the center of a bed and both Pyles and Myers carried her out of the house.

Both victims were first treated at Einstein Medical Center Montgomery and transferred by medical helicopter to Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia in critical condition. The woman died of her injuries at the Temple Burn Center on Jan. 20.

“The firefighters acted swiftly and courageously. They exhibited a high degree of courage and fortitude,” said Norristown Fire Chief Thomas O’Donnell. “This selfless act is a true demonstration of what it means to be a true hero.”

Capt. Ryan Colelli of the fire department said, “This was an outstanding act of heroism as these members, under extreme hazardous conditions, placed themselves in a life-threatening position to save the life of another.”

Myers, 30, has been a Norristown volunteer firefighter for 14 years. Pyles, 21, has volunteered with the department for two years.

“They are acknowledging what we did,” Myers said. “The ultimate goal was to see we got her out of a dangerous condition. It was tough to find that she succumbed to her injuries.”